Tears of Joy
by BlueSpiritFire1
Summary: Ryou is sick of Bakura treating him like rubbish, so after an argument, Ryou storms out. Bakura goes to find him, but is eventually caught up in some mess of his own. Now Ryou is the only one who can save him, but at what cost? Just a long Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! Sadly...

_'Thoughts'_

"Speech."

**Word emphasis**

**baka=idiot...i think. Something along those lines.  
**

**Please enjoy! ^^  
**

* * *

Tears of Joy

Ryou was sitting on a park bench, arms wrapped around his knees and staring at the pebbled floor. Why was Bakura always so mean to him! What had he done this time? He'd made sure the house was clean, cooked dinner, steak as usual (Bakura's favourite I might add), and waited patiently for his darker half to return from...whatever he'd been doing. Ryou really didn't want to know because he'd found one of the kitchen knives missing earlier that evening. Bakura had come home, late, with a slam of the door. He'd angrily marched into the kitchen and thrown the bloody knife into the sink.

_-FLASHBACK-_

"B-Bakura?" Ryou had asked, afraid of what response he'd receive.

"What?" Bakura had growled, fists clenched and leaning over the sink, staring at the window so hard Ryou feared it might shatter.

Ryou opted for a different line of questioning than he'd planned on. "Would you like your steak now, or should I save it for later?"

Silence.

"Baku-" "Why do you have to be so weak?" Bakura had cut in, whirling around and shouting at the confused and frightened Ryou. "W-What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean! It's because of your weakness that I had to go and do this tonight!" Bakura had shouted, gesturing to the knife in the sink. Ryou had nearly fallen off his chair in shock and horror.

"What?" he squeaked.

"Don't tell me you're that thick Ryou!" Bakura had shouted, turning back to the sink and turning on the water to clean the knife. Ryou gulped.

"L-Let's say that I am. Would you care to tell me what you mean?" Bakura sighed before explaining in a gentle, frightening tone.

"You remember that lovely man from this morning, don't you?" Ryou gasped and clamped his hand over his mouth as the memory came back.

_-FLASHBACK WITHIN THE FLASHBACK-_

_Ryou and Bakura had gone out shopping, as usual, for steak. They'd been on their way home when Ryou suddenly patted his jeans pockets and muttered some British profanity, something that had sounded like "Buggery!" to Bakura, to which he'd chuckled slightly. "Ah, Bakura, could you please wait here for a moment and hold onto the food. I forgot to get something, I'll be right back!" Without another word, Ryou had dumped the bag of meat in Bakuras very incapable care and run back down the street. After about 5 minutes Bakura had gotten thoroughly pissed at having to wait so long for his light half. He'd walked down the street, following Ryou's chosen path. _

_He rounded a corner and growled. "Please just give it back sir." Ryou was asking, no, begging, large burly man. "Ha! No!" the thug retorted, holding Ryou's wallet above his head tauntingly. "Give him back the wallet, or else I'll **make** you." Bakura hissed. He didn't want to see his hikari humiliated any further. When someone disrespected Ryou, they also disrespected Bakura, and that was something he would not stand for. "B-Bakura!" Ryou stuttered, spinning around to face his yami. "Oooh, what's this? Call the freak brigade or something twerp?" the man snorted again before looking to Bakura. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? I could snap you in a second!" Bakura smirked. "You really have __**no idea**__ who you're dealing with. Hand over the wallet before I break your fingers, one by one." He said simply still smirking that evil smirk that promised a very painful death._

_The brute clearly had enough sense to follow orders. "Fine, take the stinking wallet! I don't need it anyway." With that, he flung it in Ryou's face and stalked off into the alley. Ryou picked it up and went to Bakura's side. Once they reached home, in silence, Ryou finally spoke up. "B-Bakura?" he whispered. "What?" Bakura snapped, staring ahead. "Thank you." _

_-END FLASHBACK WITHIN THE FLASHBACK-_

Ryou had gone a completely different shade of white. His soft chocolaty eyes had first gone wide with horror, but that'd quickly turned to anger. Bakura's sporadic killing hadn't bothered him, no, he was used to that.

"What's wrong with you, weakling!" Bakura had said, looking at Ryou in very mild confusion. "Oh come on! You're not mad because I went on my monthly kill are you? I thought you were over-" Ryou stood out of his chair, the anger and...possibly hurt, plain on his angelic little face.

"No, Bakura. I'm not angry about that. I don't really care anymore that you go around whenever you feel like and kill someone. No...I've learned to live with that." He said sadly, looking down at the linoleum floor before looking right into Bakura's eyes, something that usually, he would've never even dared doing. "It's the fact that you _dare_ even try to justify your actions for my sake. You may be my yami, but that doesn't mean that you have to go around, killing anyone who roughs me up! You call me a weakling, a brat, a pathetic little wimp, but how the hell am I meant to learn to be strong if you keep going around and slicing everyone's throats! HOW THE BLOODY HELL AM I MEANT TO MAKE YOU THINK BETTER OF ME!" Ryou shouted, practically right in Bakura's face.

"I do everything I can to make YOU more comfortable! YOU, the ungrateful parasite you leeched everything out of my life! I cook steak for you, practically every night! I DON'T EVEN LIKE STEAK!" Ryou screeched, sweeping his plate off the table to prove his point. Bakura flinched as the plate smashed and all that perfectly good steak was wasted. "But nooooo! I make it to make YOU happy! Do you even know the meaning of happy! I don't think you do!"

"Well then why the fuck's sake do you try to please me if your efforts so far have been getting no results!" Bakura shouted back, finally finding his voice.

"Because I don't want something like THIS to happen to me!" Ryou shouted back with equal ferocity, yanking up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a patch of skin that was pinkish, compared to the rest of Ryou's arm. _'Battle City...'_ Bakura thought, wincing just a tad before he understood. _ 'R-Ryou thinks I would hurt him. Oh Ra.'_ "Apart from that, I want your approval! I'll be damned to hell if I know why, but I do! I'm sick of you always making me feel like a worthless piece of crap, and never getting the respect I deserve!" Ryou shouted again before lowering his sleeve and storming out of the room. Bakura heard the front door slam and he knew that he was all alone in the house.

_-END FLASHBACK-_

Ryou hugged his knees tighter. _'I really shouldn't have broken that plate, or said those things.'_ He thought sadly. _ 'But no more. I'm not going to be the weakling ever again!' _With that Ryou uncurled himself and stood, a new confidence in his posture. _'I'm going to go home and get some rest, then in the morning, I'm going to...well, I'm not sure. I'm going to go and toughen up I guess.'_ He thought, not sure how to go about getting stronger. Ryou held his head high and walked back home, ready for anything Bakura might throw at him...quite literally.

* * *

What Ryou didn't know, is that Bakura wasn't anywhere _near_ their house. He was actually out, searching for his light. _'He really thinks that I would hurt him. I mean, I've fucked him up mentally, that's for sure, and there have been a couple of times when I've done some pretty horrible things to him, but I'd never intentionally cause him any bodily harm. Not now. Maybe back then...but definitely not now.' _ Bakura thought as he walked along the darkened streets, looking for Ryou.

"_Apart from that, I want your approval! I'll be damned to hell if I know why, but I do! I'm sick of you always making me feel like a worthless piece of crap, and never getting the respect I deserve!"_

Bakura frowned at the memory of the last thing Ryou had said. _'Who on earth would want approval from **me**? Ryou, that's who.'_ Bakura would never actually admit this, but Ryou was far stronger that he knew. He'd put up with so much crap from Bakura, so much pain, physical and mental. He'd gone through it all, from being stabbed in the arm, to waking up in an Egyptian tomb with no recollection of how he got there, not to mention a large portion of his memory was just, gone. Bakura had made his life a living hell, and somehow Ryou had lived through it all. That was the sort of strength Ryou had, and Bakura respected and even admired it, just a tad.

"Hey, freak!" Bakura snapped out of his thoughts and back to reality when he realised that someone had said something. Turning around he realised that he'd wondered into an alley. _'Damn!'_ he though, cursing as several large thugs circled him. "Hey, we're talking to you, so answer us!" one shouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise Neanderthals like you were capable of speech." Bakura answered bitterly. He really wasn't in the mood for this sort of bullshit. The over-grown idiots snarled and one lunged at him. Bakura sighed. "You morons really don't know who you're messing with." He stepped to the side and stuck out his foot, sending the oaf flying into one of his other 'comrades'.

"You little-" His own scream cut him off as Bakura muttered something and waved his hand, a cloud of purple-tinged blackness rising from the ground and swallowing the man whole.

"D-Dude, what the fuck did you just do to him!" One screamed.

"I sent his worthless soul to the Shadow Realm, where he'll spend all eternity, begging for mercy, begging to die. I suggest you all piss off...unless you want the same fate." Bakura hissed. They all stared, eyes wide, except one of the stupider ones, who decided to attack Bakura again. Bakura dodged and pulled out an ornate dagger, spinning it before he plunged it into the man's back as he passed. Bakura quickly pulled it out and put it to the man's throat, spinning the one way and moving the dagger with him, effectively slitting his throat.

"Anyone else?" Bakura asked boredom clear in his voice. The rest of the survivors backed away slowly and soon ran out the alley, screaming for mercy. "Pathetic."Bakura muttered. Suddenly a laugh echoed through the alley and Bakura felt something heavy hit him over the head.

"Bugger." He mumbled. Being around Ryou had made him pick up some of his own habits.

* * *

Ryou had been walking home when something glinted, catching his eye. He ignored it, but something tugged him back to it. Ryou sighed and walked towards the glint, gasping when he saw the carnage. A man's throat was cut and the offending weapon was lying not too far away. _'Why does this give me the awful feeling Bakura is somehow involved?'_ Ryou thought sadly, bending down to look closer at the weapon. It was a silver dagger with a beautiful blood-red ruby embedded in the hilt. Its blade was curved and oh-so precise, the still-fresh blood glistening brightly. _'T-That's Silver Tears! Bakura's dagger!'_ Ryou thought, carefully scooping up the dagger that Bakura so highly prized. Ryou remembered the night Bakura came back home, especially happy. Yes, happy. He couldn't resist showing Ryou his new toy, not to mention boasting all its beauties and perks. It was almost considered sacred. He wrapped it in a spare handkerchief before standing up and shouting his yami's name.

"Bakura? Where are you?" Suddenly Ryou heard shouting. He couldn't make out what was being said, but he knew that voice anywhere. It was the voice that haunted his dreams and nightmares, not to mention chomped through his wallet via steak. Ryou crept closer, careful not to make a sound.

"Release me you filth!" Bakura bellowed from his bound position on the floor. A greasy, thin man, who must've had difficulty dragging Bakura over here because his frame was quite small, was snickering in one corner, his back to Bakura, fiddling with something.

"Do you know who I am! I'm the great Thief King!" Bakura shouted again, but the man was deaf to his roars. _'When will you learn that no-one knows, or cares, about your Ancient Egyptian title? Probably never.'_ Ryou thought with a small sigh.

"What do you even want with me?" Bakura asked, his curiosity finally giving in.

"Someone with such skills as yours would be an ideal candidate for the sacrifice." The man said simply, his voice equally as greasy as his hair, if that was possible. _'Sacrifice! I really should get some help...NO! If you want to be strong, __**you**__ have to save Bakura. Now think!'_ Ryou noticed that Bakura was only bound by rope, thankfully. But it was thick, and would take ages to cut through. Ryou's only chance would be for the man to-

"Now, sit still like a good sacrifice. I'll be right back." The aforementioned human said. _'Well, that was lucky.' _Ryou thought, blessing his luck and thanking Ra. You picked up a few habits when you hung around Bakura a lot, not always bad ones though. When he man was gone, Ryou slipped from the shadows, much to his yami's surprise.

"Ryou? What are you-"

"You can hate me later." Ryou cut off.

"Why would I-" Bakura's voice suddenly choked when Ryou pulled his precious Silver Tears out and began cutting at the rope. He now when what Ryou meant, and he sure would hate him later. Right now, however, he was grateful, eternally grateful. Before Ryou had cut through the rope however, they heard footsteps.

"Be still and play along. I've got a plan." Ryou hissed before bolting into the darkness again. _'Stupid brat. Never letting me in on anything. If our mind link was still working this could be co-ordinated easier.'_ Bakura thought angrily, but he played along with the game, still not liking it. He was always the puppet-master, never the puppet. But who knew that **Ryou** of all people would come to his aid.

The man, who had turned from his makeshift altar to a deity who probably never even existed, finally spoke.

"So, it's been a pleasure knowing you, but now you have to die."

From that moment on, Bakura began cursing profusely, wondering where the hell his light's 'great plan' was while he struggled at his almost cut bonds.

* * *

Ryou was hiding in the shadows, his arm aimed at the man's head. He'd never killed someone before, and he was wrestling with his conscience. However, before he had time to make up his mind, the man pulled a gun out of no-where, and aimed it straight at his dark half.

"No..." he breathed, lowering his hand and abandoning his original plan.

Suddenly his mind flew back to Battle City. The duel against the Pharaoh, when he'd woken up with Slifer the Sky Dragon roaring down on him with its might was the memory that slammed him head on. Bakura had briefly relinquished control of his body to further aid the plan between Marik and he. Ryou only remembered the searing pain in his arm, and the wind that threatened to blow him off the blimp entirely. However, just as Yugi's beast was attacking, Ryou remembered Bakura leaping in front of him, arms spread wide, ready to defend his vessel, staring death right in the face. Ryou had always hated his yami for never letting them have shared control and treating him with such contempt, but at that moment, Ryou's heart had made a spark of something else.

Love.

And right now, that spark was burning with such fury, that Ryou could no longer hide.

* * *

Bakura's mind had also turned to Battle City, and the very same moment in fact, but for a completely different reason. He'd never before faced the possibility of death before. A true death, from which there'd be no coming back. Apart from now where there was a madman aiming a gun at him. Bakura never really knew the real reason why he took Slifer's blast. At first Bakura, though it was because he needed a host to survive, but now he knew the truth. He also remembered that in the brief moment he spared to look at his hosts face, he saw something other than sadness, hate and pain. He saw love. Something he hadn't seen in such a long time, since his past life in Kul Elna in fact. Now he realised just how much he cherished his little Ryou. Ryou, the one who always came back to Bakura, no matter how badly he treated him, Ryou, the one who always tried to please him, Ryou, the one who wanted his approval, when in fact, it should've been the opposite. Bakura felt like smashing his head against something really hard when he thought over all the times he'd mistreated sweet little Ryou.

The same sweet little Ryou, who was, at that very moment, screaming a battle cry.

Bakura's eyes snapped open and he looked up as a shadow fell over his bound form. It was Ryou, a look of such ferocity and rage on his sweet face, that it made Bakura shudder. He had Silver Tears brandished in one hand, his arms spread out. It was so much like Battle City, but the roles were reversed. Ryou looked down for a moment and smiled at Bakura, that beautiful smile of love and innocence which Bakura had come to silently adore.

The sudden crack of gunpowder shattered the moment as Ryou's face contorted in pain and an unearthly scream erupted from his mouth and his empty hand flew to his thigh, which was now bleeding freely. The madman had been aiming for Bakura's head, and hadn't calculated Ryou being there to block the bullet; therefore, the bullet had driven into Ryou's leg, right at the level Bakura's head was since he was bundled on the floor. Ryou raised his head again and painfully removed his hand from his wound. He raised his right arm, the arm with Silver Tears, as the madman raised the hand with the gun. Ryou pulled back and threw the dagger, just as another shot rang through the air.

* * *

The madman fell backwards, Silver Tears sticking out of his head, which was now bleeding profusely. Ryou had stumbled one foot forward, clutching his chest, blood slowly and steadily seeping out from his fingers and dripping onto the floor as it also stained his blue shirt, turning it a sickly purple colour. His soft round eyes were wide with shock and pain. It hurt too much for Ryou to scream; Bakura however, had no problem.

"Ryou!" Bakura shouted, panic evident in his voice. "Ryou! Answer me Ra-damnit!"

"I-I'm fine Bakura." He whispered before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forwards. Bakura's struggling had evidently paid off, for the ropes tying him snapped and he bolted to Ryou, catching him before he could hit the floor. Bakura caught him under the arms and gently laid him on the floor, face up. He darted to the corpse and retrieved Silver Tears, ignoring the blood squirt that stained his shirt.

"B-Bakura?" Ryou's faint voice. Bakura dashed over to his light.

"I'm here Ryou, I'm right here."

"S-See? I knew I could prove to you that I'm not a weakling." Ryou gasped out, smiling faintly. Bakura's eyes widened as his mind replayed the fight earlier.

"_Why do you have to be so weak?"_

His own words came back to bite him in the ass, hard. Bakura winced and gently lifted Ryou's head to his chest, cradling him.

"Ryou, oh, Ryou. What was I thinking? What have I done?" Bakura whispered sadly, burying his face into Ryou's fluffy white hair.

"What's wrong Bakura?" Ryou asked, concern overlapping the pain. Bakura pulled away and looked into Ryou's worried eyes.

"Ryou, no matter what I've said and done in the past, you have _always_ been the strongest person I know. You've put up with all my crap, dragging you around the place on my stupid revenge quest, taking away parts of your life that you can't go back and re-do, fucking you up mentally and physically," Here he paused for a moment to look at the arm which bore the Battle City scar. Ryou looked down trying to hide his face.

"Ryou, look at me. You have lived with _me_, both inside and outside your head. I've been a complete bastard to you the entire time. Ryou, I'm so sorry. I-" He stopped to see Ryou was crying, and smiling at the same time.

"Ryou? Are you alright? Why are you crying?"

"Joy. These are tears of joy, Bakura." Ryou said, cuddling deeper into the nook of Bakura's arm and sighed a ragged, but happy, sigh. _'How long have I been a total moron and kicked Ryou aside? Too long and now...now it might be too late to make amends.' _Bakura thought painfully, holding his former host closer.

"Ryou, I need you to stay strong for just a little bit longer. Can you do that?" Bakura was afraid that his little angel had died in his arms and he almost leapt for joy when Ryou spoke.

"Of course. Anything for you Bakura." Ryou murmured. He just wanted to stay in his beloved's arms forever and fall asleep there, but he knew that he couldn't. Ryou had blocked out all the pain while listening to Bakura, but now it was coming back. He took a ragged breath and then fell silent, Bakura shouting his name over and over, telling him to come back.

* * *

Ryou opened his eyes wearily. He looked around. The place he was in was unfamiliar to him, and somewhere, but very far away, he could still hear Bakura calling him. Ryou slowly sat up and gasped. "M-mother? Amane?" tears began to fall as Ryou ran to his dead mother and sister. They ran forward too, embracing him tightly. The whole family cried on each other's shoulders, unaware of the onlooker. Someone coughed and Ryou's mother sniffled, wiping her eyes, before stepping back. Amane however, still clung to her brother.

"Ryou my little angel, you walk a very fine line between life and death right now." His mother said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked. Then he remembered Bakura and heard his voice calling his name. _'Is...Is he crying?'_ Ryou swore he heard sobs. "Bakura!" he cried, looking around frantically.

"Yes my child. Right now, you are in between the worlds of life and death. It's your choice now. You can choose to give in and stay with us, or you can go back to your beloved." A robed figure stepped forward.

"I shall explain in greater detail. My name is St Peter and I guard the gates of Heaven. You do not have much time to choose. If you decide to stay here you will remain here with your mother and sister for eternity. If you choose to return you will go back into your body on earth and hopefully survive. Right now, we're in limbo, awaiting your decision." St Peter finished.

"Wait...hopefully? What do you mean?" Ryou asked, prying his sister off him, very reluctantly.

"Well, if you return, but they fail to save you, you will not be able to access heaven. Ever. You will be stuck here in limbo for all eternity." St Peter said sternly. Ryou gulped. He'd just seen his mother and Amane again, and now he would have to choose between them and Bakura who had just revealed that he actually felt something other than distain for him?

"And, what if they do manage to save my body?"

"Then you will be granted access into heaven when you die of some incurable disease or old age." St Peter said, looking very bored.

"Brother, listen to me before you make your choice." Amane said, her hazel eyes taking on a warm look of wisdom. "I know this Bakura guy has been a total duchebag to you, but seriously..._look_ at him." Amane waved her hand and the ground below them disappeared, showing the scene of Bakura cradling Ryou's limp body.

"Ryou, come back! Please! I need you back! I know I was a prick, but I can't lose you! Not now! I love you Ryou. I love you so much and I've been an idiot not to see it before. Please come back! I'm sorry! RYOU!" With that Bakura buried his face in Ryou's hair and cried silently. Ryou bit his lip so hard it began to bleed. Tears flowed down his face and he closed his eyes.

"Ryou, he _needs_ you. He needs you to stay alive, to stay sane. He needs you more than we do. We're really being quite selfish. We can see you and mother and I always watch over you, no matter how cheesy that sounds. Look at me brother." Amane took Ryou by the shoulders and stared into his eyes. "He's not going to live through the night if you leave him." She said, almost angrily. Ryou's eyes widened in horror and the tears ran faster. He looked down at Bakura who was still sobbing.

"I can't live without you Ryou. You're my light, my precious little angel, although I've never acted like it, **you** were the reason I came back from the darkness. I couldn't stand it without you there to give me some hope. If you're not here then..." Bakura fingered Silver Tears and lifted it up, admiring the weapon of his death. Ryou broke down and fell to the floor, pounding on the invisible barrier that kept him from his other half.

"Bakura! Bakura! Please don't do anything stupid Bakura! I'm coming! Just hang on!" he yelled through the tears. His mother and Amane shared a look before nodding at St Peter.

"Ryou, my little ball of light. We're always going to watch you and I know, despite everything he's put you through, you'll both find a way to make it work." His mother said, lifting his chin and pulling him into an embrace.

"Your time will come Ryou, your proper time to join us, but not now." Amane said, hugging him too.

"Alright, everyone away from Ryou." St Peter said. Amane and his mother let go of him and stepped back.

"You make sure Bakura gets on the right path, and stays there!" Amane said, smiling. That was the last thing he saw. His mother and sister's smiling faces.

* * *

Bakura was ready to do it. Just end it all. Without Ryou, there was no reason to live. He was about to raise the dagger when he stopped suddenly. _'Was that...? No, he's gone. I'm hearing things.'_ Bakura thought sadly, he pulled the dagger far away from his chest, preparing to stab himself.

"BAKURA STOP!" Ryou shouted, ignoring the pain and the burning feeling in his heart. Bakura froze and slowly looked down at the barely living Ryou in his arms.

"R-Ryou? Are you really here, or am I hallucinating?"

"I'm here you big beautiful baka." Ryou said cheekily. "Now get me to a hospital before I'm gone again, and this time I might not come back." Bakura just dropped the dagger and pressed Ryou's lips to his own. Ryou's eyes flew wide open in shock, but in a matter of milliseconds he melted into Bakura as they kissed with as much passion as any two healthy people could...despite the fact Ryou was mortally wounded. As they finally parted, Ryou smiled with as much strength he could muster before burying himself in Bakura's arms. Bakura held him fiercely tight before suddenly remembering that Ryou needed a hospital, badly.

"We're taking a faster route. I'll make is a quick as possible." He said before gently scooping Ryou up bridal style and mumbling something. The shadows blanketed over them and the next time Ryou opened his eyes, they were standing outside the Domino hospital. Bakura was considerably wobbly on his feet, but he proceeded to enter the hospital's ER. Several people screamed, while others ran to get a bed for Ryou and possibly Bakura, who looked positively dreadful. Bakura refused to let go of Ryou and growled at anyone who came near until finally Ryou smirked.

"Someone's possessive of their little angel. But seriously, I'm going to die if you don't let them help me." Ryou whimpered. Bakura had to do a double-take and one of the stronger male nurses took this opportunity to take Ryou from Bakura's arms and lay him on a bed. _'I never called him a little angel except back there when he was gone...Was he...nah' _he thought, genuinely confused. He shook his head and ran after the bed Ryou was being wheeled away on. Bakura grabbed Ryou's hand and received a squeeze in return.

"Bakura, come closer." Ryou breathed. The bed pushers momentarily paused so Ryou could tell Bakura his message. Bakura leaned as close as he could without falling on top of the injured boy. When he was finally hovering so close to Ryou that only he would hear what was being said, Ryou finally spilled it.

"I love you too Bakura." He whispered.

The nurses resumed their frantic running, leaving a stunned Bakura standing stock still. It was then that Bakura began to feel woozy. Leaning against a wall, Bakura put his bloodstained hand to his face. The last thing he saw before blacking out was a young girl smiling at him.

* * *

When Bakura came to, he was in the operating theatre. It took him a little while to figure out that he was watching the doctors and surgeons as they tried to save Ryou.

"You know, there was never any choice." Bakura turned around and say the same girl that he'd seen before the black out. She looked scarily like Ryou. Her hair was long and a snowy white with a soft face and pale skin. The only difference was that her eyes were more of an oak colour.

"Oh, I'm Amane by the way, Ryou's deceased sister." She said, extending her hand. Bakura warily shook it, not wanting to offend a relative of Ryou, dead or alive.

"Oh, and you're not dead, just sleeping. But I thought that I'd take this opportunity to talk to you a little bit. I've seen the things you've done to my brother. I can't say I'm too happy about it." Before Bakura could counter, Amane continued. "That said...There's no separating you two. While you thought Ryou was dead, he was actually in limbo. Mother and I gave him a choice. Stay with us forever, or return to earth and be with you. Oh god, I've never seen him such a wreck." Amane said, cupping her elbow is one hand and rubbing her temples with another.

"What do you mean?" Bakura asked, completely confused.

"You see, I told him to go back to you. You might've been feeling loss, and unimaginable pain. Oh lords, I don't even want to think about what dear Ryou had to go through when we died," Amane closed her eyes and shook her head, continuing, "But he had to **choose** between me and mother, the family he never should've lost, and you." Bakura hung his head in shame. Ryou had chosen him over his own flesh and blood.

"So why did you tell him to come back to me?" Amane walked up to Bakura and stood by his side as the surgeons worked on saving Ryou.

"Because, he was just as bad a wreck as you. He was pounding at the window so much I thought it would break. I was second guessing myself for a moment, when I opened the window, but I know it was all worth it now." Bakura looked at her oddly.

"Window?"

"Yes. While he was deciding, I showed him you. In all your sobbing glory." She added naughtily. Bakura looked horrified.

"You what!"

"Hey, you looked no worse than he did, so chill, oh great ex-Thief King Bakura." Bakura silently glowered, but on the inside he was so...happy.

"So that how he knew what I'd said."

"Indeed. You really shouldn't have gone for the dagger though, that sent him into hysterics." When Bakura just stared at her she added, "Like I said, I've seen the things you've done to my brother. That includes your little escapade to Egypt, and what the hell were you thinking doing that to his arm? Battle City was, by far, the worst you've ever treated him. And yet he still comes back to you. That's love I guess." Amane rambled on.

"How long?" Bakura muttered.

"Hm?"

"How long have I been a blind idiot?" Amane chuckled.

"Oh, well, I noticed it during that battle with Yugi, on the blimp, when you took Slifer's attack." Bakura looked at her strangely

"You really _have_ been watching him."

"Well, yeah, I did say that, didn't I? I even learned how to play duel monsters, although that was mostly from watching you fight Yugi and other various opponents." Amane sighed "Well, I'm staying here until they finish the operation. How about you?" she asked.

"Definitely." Bakura said, staring at the white mass of fluff that was Ryou's hair. Amane smiled and for the next few hours Bakura and Amane got to know each other.

* * *

Bakura found that she was a lot like Ryou, only a whole lot wiser. "Marik really was a total prick in that duel." Bakura commented dryly.

"I know! I mean, both of them, seriously! But it was funny to watch you and Malik fight like a married couple." Amane giggled. Bakura scowled but before he could make a comeback, the surgeons suddenly started shouting. Bakura looked around frantic for answers, Amane only smiled.

"They did it." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "They saved him! Bakura, Ryou's going to be alright!" Amane squealed grabbing Bakura and dancing around the room and around the surgeons who couldn't see their ghostly forms. Bakura was actually getting very frightened at the insane dancing. Amane then proceeded to hug all that were involved, and even though they had all felt the hug, nobody ever mentioned it. "Oh Bakura! I have to go and tell mother!" Amane said, turning to walk away. She stopped and spun to face Bakura. "Bakura, please, keep him safe, and don't ever hurt him. If you keep him safe, I'll put in a good word for you up top, that way you and Ryou_ might_ have the chance to stay together, always." Amane smiled again before whispering something. "Thank you, Big Brother Bakura."

And then she was gone.

* * *

Bakura sat bolt upright. He was in a darkened room and lying on a bed. _'Was that real? Only one way to find out.´_ Bakura got out of the bed and went to the door, but before he could open it, someone else did.

"Oh, sir, I didn't realised you were up. Do you need anything-"

"How's Ryou?" That was all he asked before the doctor smiled at him.

"He's going to make a full recovery! The surgery was a success and the bullet just missed his heart. His leg's going to need some physiotherapy, but he should be jumping about like a spring chicken in no time!" _'Oh he won't be jumping around anywhere, except at home perhaps...'_ Bakura thought cheekily.

"Can I see him?"

"I thought you would ask that. Seeing as you were so...close, when you came in, I don't think it would be right to deny you the right to see him. But please, be very quiet, and don't wake him up. The young man needs his rest." Bakura eagerly tailed the doctor to a very quiet and secluded part of the ward. The older man stepped aside to allow room for Bakura to enter the room. As soon as Bakura went through the door, and that same door clicked shut, Bakura strode over to Ryou's bedside and took his light's smaller paler hand in his own.

"Oh Ryou, my precious angel, my life." With that Bakura clasped Ryou's hand and cried into the sheets.

_"Joy. These are tears of joy, Bakura."_

Bakura was now shedding his own tears of joy, and he knew that somewhere, there would be a certain young girl and her mother who would also be crying joyously.

* * *

**Awww! Like i've said before, i can't resist happy endings! **

**Please R&R, and i hope you all enjoyed it. Feedback and reviews are always welcomed!**


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